General Charles (1861-1924) Indian army officer who led the early successes of Anglo-Indian forces in Mesopotamia (1914-15). After defeat at the Battle of Ctesiphon (22-26 November 1915), however, he was forced to retreat with his men to Kut-al-Amara. After the surrender of British forces there in April 1916, he spent the rest of the war in comfortable captivity near Constantinople, before helping to broker armistice negotiations between Turkey and Britain at Mudros in late October 1918.